Thieves sneaked into the Coventry hotel room of World Cup hero Jack Charlton and stole more than £150 as he slept.

The legendary centre-half was staying at the Village Hotel and Leisure Club near Hearsall Common after speaking at a dinner at the nearby Triumph Standard Club in Tile Hill Lane on Thursday night.

The 1966 World Cup winner told how two thieves were seen on CCTV footage at about 3am on Friday taking the keys to his room from reception after sending the receptionist on a fool's errand.

The cameras also picked them up letting themselves into and out of his room.

The 69-year-old woke up on Friday morning to find his cash, and some receipts, had been taken from his wallet, but his credit cards were left.

Today he told the Evening Telegraph: "You don't like to think you are lying there in the bed and someone is traipsing round the place and taking your property.

"I wasn't very happy about it. It was somebody had come in with a key and I was in bed. I was more concerned about the credit cards than I was about the money. I wasn't that bothered about that."

Charlton said the experience would not put him off returning to Coventry.

He said: "I have been to Coventry lots and lots of times. It is the first time anything has ever happened to me, I won't ever forget it was Coventry where it started, but it won't stop me coming back."

And the former Republic of Ireland manager praised staff at the Village Hotel. He said: "The hotel did everything to put things right. They did a good job."

The hotel's duty manager said yesterday the matter was for the police and he did not wish to comment.

Charlton, who played for England 35 times, had been a speaker at a dinner to celebrate 25 years of the Unipart Football Club, at Triumph Standard Club.

The event raised £4,500 for the club.

Police arrested a man and a woman at the hotel at 9.20am yesterday. They are believed not to be hotel staff.